In the issue of Aphrodite field, Israel and Cyprus have very good, very transparent, very direct contact, said the Ambassador of Israel in Nicosia Shmuel (Sammy) Revel, and added that we are going to continue to find a way to work together to bring this project forward and to make the most of the natural gas reserve that we have in our region.

In statements after a meeting he had with the Presidential Commissioner Fotis Fotiou, and asked about the issue of the Aphrodite field and whether the two countries are going to appeal for international arbitration, Revel pointed out that cooperation on natural gas concerns is a very big opportunity for both countries. We have to recognise that we have very important natural gas reserves here in the Eastern Mediterranean and we have to work together to explore this huge opportunity which is very important for our economies, he added.

Revel referred also to the very ambitious project of EastMed Pipeline. We are promoting it, of course there are many technical, economic issues we have to review, but this is a very important project for our future, he stressed.

As regards his meeting with Fotiou, the issue of the Diaspora was discussed. He said that in the framework of the trilateral meeting between the heads of states of Cyprus-Greece and Israel that is going to take place in Nicosia on the 8th of May, the three countries should find ways to bring the people closer, since the title of the meeting is Building the bridge between people.

The bridge between our diaspora is very crucial component because if we want to tie our countries together, the diaspora should be part of the bridges we want to build between our people, he pointed out.